The US has apparently backed the idea of a "two-tier" internet, which would allow companies to charge some users more for access to specific content. It figures the US would do this, because most of those in power within our country are greedy, self-serving mini-tyrants who only understand words and phrases like "more money" and "charge extra." And if you think I'm being harsh, let me break this down for you:
Remember when they used to call the internet the "Information Superhighway"? Well, that was an apt phrase because the internet really does work a lot like a roadway:
When we logon and surf around, it is a lot like getting into a car and going to the store and the phonelines, cable wires, and so forth are like the roads. Now, when we send or receive large files, e-mails, go to websites that have 330927403294798 embedded files and Java apps and all that silly shit (MySpace, anyone?), that is a lot like driving a Sherman tank 20 mph down the middle of the freeway; that "traffic" takes up a lot of the road and slows down everyone else around you.
What the companies in favor of charging select users more are arguing is that the people who drive Sherman tanks should pay more for that luxury; their use of the internet clogs-up the "superhighway" and impedes everyone else's traffic. A lot of this comes in the form of downloading huge multimedia files, such as TV shows, videos, music, and so on - those with broadband connections comprise the majority of this audience for obvious reasons.
Now, you have to ask yourself this simple question: if people with broadband connections are already paying more for that speed, and even those of us with low-speed (dial-up) connections will be able to access this premium content for a little extra, how exactly does that work? Kind of sounds like these companies want to "double-dip," doesn't it?
US officials in favor of this model argue that, by not allowing these companies to charge extra for premium content, it will retard their ability to upgrade their systems. But why haven't they been using the money they get from charging people like 3-4 times as much for broadband as they would pay for dial-up to do this? As I said last week, I worked for a major broadband company back in 1999-2000 and the monthly rate then was pretty much the same as it is today; in nearly 10 years, the price for high-speed internet access has not gone down! Why is that?
Put simpler: the companies who want to charge more for this premium content are not going to use the extra money they receive to upgrade their systems or lower their prices on other services; they are going to use that extra income to create and promote more premium content and buy-up the content already available. Then they will charge more for granting access to more premium content, effectively giving these companies control of the internet's content.
You and I, the end-users, have nothing to gain from this "two-tier" model and literally everything to lose. If the large companies are allowed to charge for "premium" content, we will be forced to pay their "premium" prices in order to access just about any content online; there will be no point in having a "non-premium" ISP other than for e-mail - after all, what in the world will we be able to see or do?
Just to note, The Weirding is free. Just, you know, just... putting that out there.
Remember when they used to call the internet the "Information Superhighway"? Well, that was an apt phrase because the internet really does work a lot like a roadway:
When we logon and surf around, it is a lot like getting into a car and going to the store and the phonelines, cable wires, and so forth are like the roads. Now, when we send or receive large files, e-mails, go to websites that have 330927403294798 embedded files and Java apps and all that silly shit (MySpace, anyone?), that is a lot like driving a Sherman tank 20 mph down the middle of the freeway; that "traffic" takes up a lot of the road and slows down everyone else around you.
What the companies in favor of charging select users more are arguing is that the people who drive Sherman tanks should pay more for that luxury; their use of the internet clogs-up the "superhighway" and impedes everyone else's traffic. A lot of this comes in the form of downloading huge multimedia files, such as TV shows, videos, music, and so on - those with broadband connections comprise the majority of this audience for obvious reasons.
Now, you have to ask yourself this simple question: if people with broadband connections are already paying more for that speed, and even those of us with low-speed (dial-up) connections will be able to access this premium content for a little extra, how exactly does that work? Kind of sounds like these companies want to "double-dip," doesn't it?
US officials in favor of this model argue that, by not allowing these companies to charge extra for premium content, it will retard their ability to upgrade their systems. But why haven't they been using the money they get from charging people like 3-4 times as much for broadband as they would pay for dial-up to do this? As I said last week, I worked for a major broadband company back in 1999-2000 and the monthly rate then was pretty much the same as it is today; in nearly 10 years, the price for high-speed internet access has not gone down! Why is that?
Put simpler: the companies who want to charge more for this premium content are not going to use the extra money they receive to upgrade their systems or lower their prices on other services; they are going to use that extra income to create and promote more premium content and buy-up the content already available. Then they will charge more for granting access to more premium content, effectively giving these companies control of the internet's content.
You and I, the end-users, have nothing to gain from this "two-tier" model and literally everything to lose. If the large companies are allowed to charge for "premium" content, we will be forced to pay their "premium" prices in order to access just about any content online; there will be no point in having a "non-premium" ISP other than for e-mail - after all, what in the world will we be able to see or do?
Just to note, The Weirding is free. Just, you know, just... putting that out there.
No comments:
Post a Comment